When we talk about our partner families’ sweat equity hours, they are often treated as a means to an end: finish the hours, buy the house. But these invaluable hours are central to Habitat’s mission. They empower our families to ask questions, try new things, and master new skills.
This past March, our construction team was working hard to build and stand up second floor interior walls before subcontractors began installing roof trusses. Since the task is much more difficult after the trusses are placed, we had a tight timeline and were extremely motivated to finish. We had been rolling pretty fast, dead set on staying ahead of the roofers.
On one of our partner family build days during this phase of construction, my team consisted of Pam, Fabiola, and Ana. All of whom are an absolute joy to work with but had very little construction experience. Accustomed to the pace the construction team had been working at, I began my day with high expectations for what my group would be able to accomplish. I admit I was frustrated at first when I realized I would have to slow down, explain every step from the beginning, and train everyone on the myriad of tools required to frame walls. As this job often requires, I adjusted my expectations and began teaching. We started with reading tape measures. I explained which lines indicate which sub-divisions down to the sixteenth. I remember Fabiola pointing out 7/16, proudly saying with a smile:
“I can’t believe I never knew this! It’s so easy.”
Later, when it came time to use the circular saw, a much more intimidating tool, I demonstrated how to cut a 2×4 and then asked who wanted to try first. Ana stepped nervously forward. I promised if she needed to stop, she could release the trigger and everything would be okay. Ana didn’t need to be nervous; she cut that 2×4 way straighter than I did on my first try! She ran our cut station like a pro the rest of the day.
One final moment that I will never forget happened when Pam was trying to sink a screw into the wall and her hand wouldn’t stop shaking. I watched her struggle for a minute, dropping the screw twice. Visibly frustrated, she noticed me nearby and told me, “You should probably just take over.”
I asked her to try one more time, putting my hands over her hands to steady them as we drilled the screw in together. These moments are the ethos of Habitat: our families do the work. When they need help, we guide with a steady hand and finish the job as equal partners. I began that cold Saturday in March distracted by deadlines and weighed down by my own expectations. I ended the day in awe of the courageous, intelligent women I had the privilege to teach something new.
Lydia has been hard at work on the Stratton Flats jobsite for 10-1/2 months. Her AmeriCorps service term ends in July. Everyone will miss her enthusiasm, work ethic and relationship building!
